“Tell me the story of Jesus;
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.”

In this week’s VBS, we echo the sentiments of these words of Fanny Crosby in this great, old hymn.  The Bible, though a library of sixty-six books, is really one story: the story of human redemption through Jesus Christ.  Over the course of 1,600 years God used over forty individuals from different cultures, in vastly different circumstances, speaking different languages to write one unified message to mankind (2 Peter 1:20-21).  The great emphasis of our theme this week is that all the stories of the Bible, even the stories of people such as Noah or Ruth, relate to the central story of Jesus Christ saving man from sin.  Jesus is the overarching theme and purpose of all these stories, and we need to connect them to this broader scope.

The early church loved to tell the story of Jesus and to be told it over and over again. Acts 5:42 records, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”  Do we likewise love the story?  Even today, Christians can draw faith and spiritual strength from Bible stories, even Old Testament stories that lead up to Christ (Romans 15:4).

This week we have a great opportunity to meet every day to tell the story of Jesus at VBS.  This week we can grow in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18), keep our spiritual temperatures high (Revelation 3:15-16), encourage our brethren (Hebrews 3:13) and show we have the right priorities by choosing to give VBS precedence in our schedules (Matthew 6:33).  If you have the opportunity will you come to VBS?  The Bible stories taught this week will be stories that children will never forget for the rest of their lives and Christian adults will never get tired of hearing. Will you be like Mary and choose the better part (Luke 10:42)?  Will you show your child and/or the children who come this week that you love the story of Jesus because it is the most precious and sweetest ever heard?

The story of human redemption through Jesus Christ is so wonderful because it is true and you can have a place in it.  The records of people in the Bible “are written for our admonition” (1 Corinthians 10:11).  Just as the first-century church could be benefited by the accounts of God’s dealings with His people many centuries earlier, so we can reap the same benefit today.   The story of Jesus means my salvation if I believe and follow it (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

-Mark Day

Hope is the anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6:19).  It keeps us from losing it all when the storms of life beat against us.  What about when I’m about to give up hope?  What if my situation looks so bleak that I feel hopeless?  While no quick, magic answer can be given in a few words to instantly remedy the most difficult situations we face in life, there are some truths from God’s word that can help us from giving up hope.

1. God created you, a human being, in His image (Genesis 1:26). You are of immense value to God (Luke 12:7).  He is the Father of our spirits (Hebrews 12:9).  All souls belong to Him (Ezekiel 18:4).  God gave us an eternal soul, and no matter what happens to us in this life, we can choose to be faithful to Him and, after death, return to Him to live forever in a place far better than anything this world has to offer (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
2. As part of the body of Christ, the church, you are important (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:18-22). You may feel unloved, but you are an important part of God’s family who can help growth occur through love (Ephesians 4:16).
3. Jesus understands your pain. He knows what it is like to live in the flesh (Hebrews 2:14).  He was made like His brethren in order to be a merciful high priest (Hebrews 2:17).  While He was here in the flesh, He cried (Hebrews 5:7).  Even though He knows the solution to our problems, He still weeps with us because of our pain (John 11:35).  He even asked in agony on the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
4. Help is available. We can always say, “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).  God is with us even in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4).  He hears our cries of distress (Psalm 18:6).

As we are reminded of the hope we still have, we must take life a day at a time (Matthew 6:34).  When we gradually regain our resolve and confidence in God, day by day, we can make decisions as they come.  Remember we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).  There are many things we cannot control, but when it comes to what we can control, we must work out our own salvation, by doing our part to overcome the trials that come our way (Philippians 2:12; cf. Galatians 6:5). “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13).

-Mark Day